Conveyer-chain for match-machines.



No. 700,433. Patented May 20,1902.-

v m. LUCKWOOD, 1n. BONV EYEB CHAIN-FORMATGH MACHINES.-

(Application filed M84. 4, 1902.)'

(No Model.)

t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. LOCKWOOD, JR., or D RBY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO EMMA M.TOMSON, MARTIN E. BRIGHAM, AND HARRY K. BUCK, OF PHILA- DELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, OOPARTNERS TRADING As P. c. TOMSON AND oMPANY,-oEPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVEYER-CHAIN FOR MATCH-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,433, dated May 20,1902.

Application filed March 4, 1902.

To all whmn it Inning concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. LOCKWOOD, Jr.,of Darby, Delawarecounty,Pennsylvania,- have invented-an Improvement in Conveyer- Chainsfor Match-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to conveyerchains for match-making machines;and it consists of certain improvements. fully set I o forth in thefollowing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, whichform a part thereof.

. The object of myinvention is to so construct a conveyer-chain formatch-making I5 machines that it shall be light in weight, strong inconstruction, cheap in cost, and easily repaired when. necessary.

My object is also to so form the match-stick-- carrying'bars whichcompose the conveyorchain that theymay be stamped by suitable dies fromsheet-steel, with the result that they shall be practically unbreakableand ab solutely. uniform in shape.

My invention in general consists of a con- 2 5 veyer-chain built up ofstamped bars having match-stick-carrying sockets. In carrying out myinvention I form the conveyer of sections hinged together,=each sectionconsisting ofaseries of transverse compound or com- 0 posite bars havingsockets for supporting the match-sticks and connected to side or rackbars near each end, which unite them and provide means for hinging onesuch section to the next. The bars are of stamped sheetsteel, andconsist of a main perforated bar combined with a supplemental crimpedbar provided with a series of semicircular portions driven outward andextended through the perforations or apertures of the main bar 40 toform sockets through which thematcha sticks may be thrust and bywhichth'eyare. held and guided upon the bar. The sockets are thus formedwithout drilling, and as the bar is made by dies every bar is acounterpart of the other, andhence cheapness as well as accuracy ofconstruction is secured. The bars are flanged to secure strength, andthe ends projectingbeyond therack-bars'con'sti- Serial No. 96,679. (Nomodel.)

tute sockets or teeth, withwhich the teeth of the driving sprocket orgear wheels engage for propelling the conveyor as a whole.

My invention also consists of details of construction, all of which willbe better understood by reference to thed rawings, in which Figure 1 isa plan view of a portion of a conveyer-chain, parts being shown insection and dotted lines and also in its relation to the drivingsprocket-wheels Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of'same. Fig. 3is an end View of same. Fig. 4 is a perspective iew of a portion of oneof the stamped sheet-metal bars making up the conveyor. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. 'A Arepresent two sections of the conveyorchain, theentire conveyor beingmade up of a Very large number of such sections con-.

nected end to end to form an endless chain. Each section A consists ofmatch-carrying bars D, arranged parallel and connected together by theend rack-bars B, which rackbars of adjacent sections are hinged at d inany suitable manner. These rack-bars B convided with a series ofoutwardly-extending ,curvedlportions I, forcedup through the aper turesL of the body of the bar D, so as to produce a series of verticalsocketsJ for the reception of the match-sticks *M. The lips of theseoutwardly-extending portions I are outwardly flared, as at t', though.it isperhaps important that said outwardfiaring should be only on thelowerlips or thosedirected toward the approaching match-sticks. However,by having both lips flaring the bars may be inverted, if desired. Thesebars N are forced into position and retain themselves in place byfriction,which is amply sufflcient for the purpose. I also prefer toform the body of the bar with recessed guide portions K above and belowthe apertures and in alinement with the outwardly-projecting portions I,to better guide and hold the match-sticks parallel. As shown in Fig. 5,the bar N intermediate of its loops or projecting portions I looks withthe narrow parts Z of the bar D intermediate of the apertures I), andhence no thrust of the match-sticks can separate the elements of thebar. To prevent the ends of the sticks catching upon the edge of themetal, the edges 76 are bent backward, forming rearwardly-flaring lipsback of the projecting portion I. In this manner the matchsticks M areguided vertically through the apertures J without danger of catchingupon the edges 'L'orLof the composite bar. The ends of these bars D areso shaped as to preferably form rectangular end sockets E, in which theteeth of the driving sprocket-wheels F engage, as shown in Fig. 1, thesaid sprocketwheels rotating in a horizontal plane. The rear flanges Dof the bars rest against the outer ends of the lugs O, as shown in Fig.3, and are thus held in steady position upon the rack-bars. The rearbarD of each section is held in position by a spring G, which is sprunginto position back of the bar and has its ends bent, as at g, and hookedover the short lugs c of the rack-bars,as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Thisspring also holds the rack-bars in place and prevents them spreadingtoward the outer ends of bars D.

It is seen that the costof producing the bars D N is much less than barsof cast or forged metal with the holes drilled and also that as the barsare made with dies the position of every hole is definitely fixed. Thebars being equally spaced apart, they produce, in effect, racks E attheir ends to receive the driving-teeth of the sprocket-wheels F, andthereby obviate the necessity of separate teeth either upon the bars Dor upon the rack-bars B. The ends of the bars D are preferablyrectangular; but the middle portions may have the corners more or lessrounded for more readily guiding the match-sticks. The grooves K and theloops I form three places of support for the match-stick in alinement,and hence the sticks are all held parallel and in true position.

lVhile I prefer to hold the two parts D N of the bar together by theirfrictional contact, they may be connected in any way desired to make afirm union.

I do not limit myself to the manner of connecting the series of bars Dinto a section or of connecting the sections, as these and others of.the details may be modified or changed as desired; but the constructionshown is simple and eifeetivo and excellently adapted to the purpose ofthis invention. It also permits easy dismantling of the conveyer forrepairs, so that very little loss of time is required in the operationof the machine even when repairs are required.

Having now described my invention, what bars secured to the links andeach consisting of a bar of stamped sheet metal having a series ofapertures, and a second bar of sheet metal having a series of loopsarranged through the apertures of the perforated bar to form supportsfor the match-sticks and in which the loops support the match-sticks onone side and the surfaces on the face of the perforated bar above andbelow the loops sup port the match-sticks on the other side.

2. A composite match-stick-supporting bar for a con veyer consisting ofa sheet-metal bar having a bent flange for strength and its body formedwith a series of apertures, combined with a second sheet-metal barhaving a series of outwardly-projecting looped portions pressed throughthe apertures to form matchstick guides.

3. A composite inatch-sticlosupporting bar for a conveyer consisting ofa sheet-metal bar havinga bent flange for strength and having its bodyformed with a series of apertures, combined with a second sheet-metalbar having a series of outwardly-projecting looped portions pressedthrough the apertures to form match-stick guides I and having theiredges flaring outward as at t.

a. A composite match-stick-su pportin g bar for a conveyer consisting ofasheet-metal bar having a bent flange for strength and having its bodyformed with a series of apertures and grooves K above and below theapertures, combined with a second metal bar having a series ofoutwardly-projecting looped portions extending through the apertures toform guides I in line with the grooves K for the match-sticks.

5. A composite match-stick-supporting bar for a conveyer consisting of asheet-metal bar havinga bent flange for strength and its body formedwith a series of apertures the upper and lower edges of which flarebackward as at it, combined with a second metal bar having a series ofoutwardly-projecting looped portions extending through the apertures toform match-stick guides.

(5. A composite match-stick-supporting bar consisting of a sheet-metalbar having a series of apertures and vertical guiding portionstransversely to its length above and be low said apertures, combinedwith a metal strip of less width than the bar and formed with a seriesof loops and attached to the sheet-metal bar and forming outwardly-pro jcctin g looped portions over the apertures and IIO in linewith theguiding portions thereof,

Whereby' the match-stick is properly held-and guided.

, -7. A composite match-sticksupporting bar consisting of a'bar havingase1'ies 0.f perforations combined withmletal ioopedportions pushedthrough the apertures toa'form a se- .ries of loops extendingfrointheface of the" I bentinto aseri'e's of projecting portions 1 exbarforholding the match-sticks. IO

8. A composite match-stick supportingban consisting of a bar having aseries of pei'fo rations and vertical guide-grooves in its body aboveand below theJaperturestransversely to the length of the barcombined-with metai' looped portionspushed throughj the apertures toform aseries of loopsextending from the face of the bar for 'holdingjthematch-sticks and'in line with the vertical guide-grooves.

9. A match-stick-supporting bar for aicom; veyer consistingofa'channel-bar theintermediate body 'of whichisprov-ided''Wi'th'perforation's,'combined Iwith 'a second flat bar tending throughthe apertures and forming match-stick guide; apertures J bounded on Ione side by said projecting portions and on the'other side by the bodyof the channel-bar section comprising'the, rack-bars Bhaving;

D apertures L and slotsdinto WhiCuthOlEaCki-o ing throughtheapertu'ijes," andF- in which-the Track-bars;

flanges D, apertures Lla'n'd'slotsd into iifihic above and below theapertures. I

04,111 a conveyer for'a natcheinachine,,.a

lugs C0,: combined with the composite sup?" porting-bars for.thematcheshavingflanges flanges =D rest against ne ni sfofor the' said V 11. Inaconveyer "for a 'ina tqbiii'ichiggjaw. '1 section comprising therack-bars vhav i 1 1g lugs GIG, combined with theiconiposite sup portingbars ffot "the matches 1 each; having the rack barsfit-andlbai' -Nhayingloops'l ex-f tending through theaplertu'res; the-flangesl) restingagainst the-lugs O of tig e s aid rack bars, and a'spring'G'pressingagainst one"of* the composite supporting bars {and looped 76m? lugs? ofrackgba' s fpfholdii 'ii them infthe slots dofthesaid sup fl a v Ibars.1 A V Iiitestiinon'yo fivhich-iiiventionliiav ihemav unto'selt'myhand. v"T h E; 'MJLQCKW'OODQJ QT Witnesses: I

'MrHumnn M. KELLY. v

